Each year, the Blue Jay Jazz Foundation offers scholarships to carefully selected Future Generation Jazz Scholars who have demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, musicianship and community service.
The Foundation is proud of the educational component of its mission. In addition to granting scholarships, it maintains the instrument lending library, a free source of instruments for our community’s young musicians. It sponsors grants for music camps, private lessons, master classes with visiting professionals and onstage performance experiences. The instrument petting zoo introduces youngsters to an array of instruments, hoping to inspire them. Studying music has been shown to expand a student’s overall learning potential; studies have revealed that music students score around 20 percent higher in English and math than their peers.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, the first night of this year’s festival, this year’s winners will receive their awards. They will also perform with DAP (the Digital Audio Projekt), featuring world-class bassist, singer and DJ Andre Berry, with Bruce Rubio on saxophones and Harold Allen Jr. on electronic drums.
The scholars will perform with DAP.
The scholarship winners include four seniors, one junior and an eigthth-grader. Senior Jared Angel plays drums and senior Boedy Reisner plays bass. The horn section features trumpet player Isaiah Rodriquez, a senior; baritone sax player Jaden Martinez, a junior; and eighth-grade clarinetist Madison Skidmore.
The Gloria Loring Vocal Excellence Award goes to senior Leena Butler, who is a leader in choir and advanced choir and is known for delivering strong alto vocals.
Foundation President Dr. Hugh Bialecki will present the awards along with San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre, Rim of the World Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Sevillano and County Supervisor Dawn Rowe.
For tickets to this year’s festival, Shuffle, Swing & Sizzle, visit bluejayjazz.org/tickets. No food or beverages will be sold at the Thursday night concert so guests should bring their own picnic baskets.
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